Monday, July 29, 2019

Greetings my darling readers, I know I’ve been
remiss in providing you reviews of good reads this past year and I apologize.
Life has a hold on me which does not allow me much reading time. I have tried
to make up for that in publishing my own good reads for you and I hope you’ve
given them a try. So to make up for my neglect, I will be offering up guest
reviews for you enjoy. I hope to be back reviewing for you soon but in the
meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy my dear friend, Connie Fischer’s reviews to guide
you to good reads. Enjoy and Happy Reading!

I present to you a guest review of HIS UNEXPECTED HEIRESS, an
Entangled Inheritance novel by Sally Britton, published July 12, 2019.

Blurb for
HIS UNEXPECTED HEIRESS:

An
unexpected fortune falls into a tradeswoman’s lap, a gentleman insists it
rightfully belongs to him, will falling in love make matters better or worse?

A third son to an earl,
Adam Gillensford knows his only hope of an inheritance is through his
great uncle. But when the Will is read, Adam learns most of the wealth has been
left to a complete stranger, and a seamstress at that. If he hopes to salvage
any kind of funds for himself, he has two choices: adhere to his late uncle’s
wishes and assist the new heiress in finding her way, or sabotage her so the
courts will find her unfit to inherit. Deciding his course would be easier if
the heiress wasn’t so enchanting.

Elaine Chapple, a woman
in trade, is rather used to being seen as unusual. But running her own dress
shop is far different from discovering a man she barely knew left his entire
estate in her care. As unexpected as the fortune is, the help of the gentleman
attached to it is even more perplexing. Does Mr. Gillensford mean to
make her a success, or a fool?

With a greedy family
urging Adam to act for his own good, and Elaine’s difficulty in adapting to her
new life, only love could possibly untangle this mess.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Connie’s
Review:

Elaine
Chapple, age 26, is a seamstress working in her shop in Ipswich. Her father had
been a tailor and taught her the trade. She had also attended a good finishing
school. Seeing an older man standing outside in the cold rain, she graciously
invites him into her warm shop. Speaking in a cultured voice, he introduces
himself as Peter Gillensford. She offers him a cup of tea and some tarts she
had made. They chat and he is pleased at her kindness. As he leaves, she tries
to go after him to offer him an umbrella but cannot catch up with him. That’s
when she sees him get into a very elegant carriage.

Adam Gillensford is the third son of the deceased Earl of Montecliff. His older
brother, Richard, is now the Earl. Another brother is in the military and Adam
knows he must choose a course in life but has no interest in the law or the
clergy. They also have two younger sisters. His uncle, Peter Gillensford, has
just passed away leaving no children, and the family is waiting for the man’s
solicitor to come and read his will to them. Knowing he was a very wealthy man,
they are eager to see what he could have left them. Imagine their shock when
some are bequeathed insults and a couple others are bequeathed some money.
Peter has left the bulk of his estate to Miss Elaine Chapple, a seamstress from
Ipswich. She must agree to live at Peter’s estate for one year. During that
time, Adam must agree to be her guide in financial and social matters. After
one year he will then inherit some stocks and shares. If he refuses, he will
inherit nothing. In addition, should anyone contest the will, they will receive
nothing.

Elaine arrives at Tertium Park, the estate that Peter has left her, she also
brings her two wards with her. She is stunned at the size and beauty of the
place. Adam arrives soon after and introduces himself. She finds him quite
handsome.

Adam proves to be very helpful to Elaine and she finds herself depending upon
him more and more. However, she is unaware of the stipulation in his uncle’s
will that he must do this. She thinks he is just being kind. Adam hopes she
doesn’t find out because he finds himself falling in love with her. What would
happen if she does?

This is a sweet romance that I enjoyed very much. The author shows how Adam
changes from being irked at having to help this young woman in order to gain
his inheritance, to truly enjoy doing it and spending time with Elaine. Elaine
is a strong character with a vulnerable side that tends to lean on Adam for
help. A perfect couple has been created. Congratulations to Sally Britton for
writing yet another wonderful book.

Copy provided by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

HIS UNEXPECTED HEIRESS, an Entangled Inheritance novel by
Sally Britton, available now at Kindle Unlimited and Amazon in ebook and print.

Friday, July 26, 2019

Greetings my darling readers, I know I’ve been
remiss in providing you reviews of good reads this past year and I apologize.
Life has a hold on me which does not allow me much reading time. I have tried
to make up for that in publishing my own good reads for you and I hope you’ve
given them a try. So to make up for my neglect, I will be offering up guest
reviews for you enjoy. I hope to be back reviewing for you soon but in the
meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy my dear friend, Connie Fischer’s reviews to guide
you to good reads. Enjoy and Happy Reading!

I present to you a guest review of THE RELUCTANT DUCHESS, a
Brides of St. Ives novel by Jane Goodger, published July 9, 2019.

Blurb for
THE RELUCTANT DUCHESS:

The
charming seaside town of St. Ives is hard to leave—but to save her family from
ruin, one young woman must face a frightening unknown...

Orphaned young, Oliver
Sterling, eleventh duke of Kendal, lives in seclusion in his massive home,
Horncliffe Manor. Convinced since childhood that he is monstrous, his only
company is his guardian, Mr. Winters—a man who perpetuates Oliver’s
self-loathing. Still, Oliver is only human. One day, he sees a beautiful young
woman in a painting titled “St. Ives Girl.” Captivated, he asks Mr. Winters to
find her, marry her by proxy, and bring her back as his bride...

Rebecca Kane is shocked
that her squire father has agreed to marry her off to a duke in exchange for
payment of his gambling debts. But with no option, she submits. Rebecca fears
this husband she has never seen in the light of day—yet in the marriage bed,
her husband is kind and gentle. And though they remain in darkness, she detects
nothing odd about him. She wonders what he is hiding and soon finds there are
more mysteries to uncover—about the unsettling noises coming from deep within
the manor, about Mr. Winters, and about love—of oneself and one’s beloved...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Connie’s
Review:

1879

Oliver Sterling, eleventh Duke of Kendal, Horncliffe Manor, is age 28. He has
been raised in isolation by Philip Winters. He had been born with a freakish
appearance and is known as The Ghost Duke. When his parents first saw him, they
did not want him around and thus, sent him to Winters be raised.

Oliver enjoys art and is taken by a girl in a painting. He demands that Winters
find her because he wants to marry her. Winters is instructed to have their
marriage done by proxy and then bring her to Horncliffe.

Winters goes to Rachel’s home and offers for her to marry the Duke via proxy.
It appears that Rachel’s father is in debt for gambling making the family
members have to do without. Winters says that if Rachel marries the Duke that
the gambling debt owed him will be forgiven. In addition, her father promises
to never gamble again. It repulses Winters to have to do this because he
considers Rachel just a commoner and now she will become a Duchess. He
confesses his true feelings to Rachel as they travel through the cold to
Horncliffe.

When Rachel finally meets Oliver, she is not repulsed at all for she
understands his affliction. As they get to know one another more, will Rachel
be able to bring Oliver out of his shell and back into the light?

I really loved this book. Rachel and Oliver are perfect for one another. Rachel
is a strong and loving woman with compassion galore and lots of love for her
new husband. The cruelty to which Oliver has been treated is appalling and she
wants him to be a part of the world again. But, with her commoner background,
it is a struggle for her to keep up. Ah - but there’s more and Mr. Winters is
hiding some vicious secrets. There is lots in this story and I hope readers
will enjoy it as much as I did.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

THE RELUCTANT DUCHESS, a Brides of St. Ives novel by Jane
Goodger, Lyrical Press, available now in ebook and print at Amazon, Barnes
& Noble, and Kobobooks.

Monday, July 22, 2019

Greetings my darling readers, I know I’ve been
remiss in providing you reviews of good reads this past year and I apologize.
Life has a hold on me which does not allow me much reading time. I have tried
to make up for that in publishing my own good reads for you and I hope you’ve
given them a try. So to make up for my neglect, I will be offering up guest
reviews for you enjoy. I hope to be back reviewing for you soon but in the
meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy my dear friend, Connie Fischer’s reviews to guide
you to good reads. Enjoy and Happy Reading!

I present to you a guest review of NO OCEAN TOO WIDE, a
McAlister Family novel by Carrie Turansky, published June 25, 2019.

Blurb for
NO OCEAN TOO WIDE:

Between
the years of 1869 to 1939 more than 100,000 poor British children were sent
across the ocean to Canada with the promise of a better life. Those who took
them in to work as farm laborers or household servants were told they were
orphans–but was that the truth?

After
the tragic loss of their father, the McAlister family is living at the edge of
the poorhouse in London in 1908, leaving their mother to scrape by for her
three younger children, while oldest daughter, Laura, works on a large estate
more than an hour away. When Edna McAlister falls gravely ill and is
hospitalized, twins Katie and Garth and eight-year-old Grace are forced into an
orphans’ home before Laura is notified about her family’s unfortunate turn of
events in London. With hundreds of British children sent on ships to Canada,
whether truly orphans or not, Laura knows she must act quickly. But finding her
siblings and taking care of her family may cost her everything.

Andrew
Fraser, a wealthy young British lawyer and heir to the estate where Laura is in
service, discovers that this common practice of finding new homes for penniless
children might not be all that it seems. Together Laura and Andrew form an
unlikely partnership. Will they arrive in time? Will their friendship blossom
into something more?

Inspired
by true events, this moving novel follows Laura as she seeks to reunite her
family and her siblings who, in their darkest hours, must cling to the words
from Isaiah: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy
God”.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Connie’s
Review:

London -
1909

Katie McAlister, age 14, has summoned her neighbor, Mrs. Graham, to help her
ailing mother. Katie is very frightened because she recently lost her father in
a train accident. Mrs. Graham insists that Mrs. McAlister be taken to the
hospital. It turns out she is gravely ill with pneumonia and will need to stay
there for the near future.

With no one to care for them, the McAlister children, Katie, her twin brother,
Garth, and little sister, Grace, are taken to the Grangeford Children’s Home.
Their older sister, Laura, 21, is working as a lady’s maid for Mrs. Frasier in
St. Albans. It is a large estate called Bolton. When Laura learns of what has
happened at home, she requests some time away and Mrs. Frasier agrees. In
addition, her son, Andrew, gives her money to help her. Andrew is a kind and
intelligent man who is not content to sit back at his home, but wants to work
as a solicitor.

Laura is shocked to find that she is not able to even see the children and that
they will be among groups of them that will be sent to Canada as part of many
others who are poor and homeless children. They will be united with a family
where they will work and earn their way. Shocked that she is unable to stop the
government sending her siblings away, she decides to take matters into her own
hands. She joins the escort people who take the children and enlists the help
of Andrew and his solicitor partner, who are also doing an investigation into
this themselves. Together, they go to Canada and search for the McAlister
children. Some children are in good homes, while the majority are treated
dreadfully. Will they be able to get the McAlister children back?

Unfortunately, this sad thing is a true event that was awful. Both the UK and
Canada bear blame and shame for this.

Copy provided by Edelweiss in exchange for a fair and honest review.

NO OCEAN TOO
WIDE, a McAlister Family novel by Carrie Turansky, Random House, available now in
ebook, print, and audio at Amazon, Barnes
& Noble, and Kobobooks.

Tuesday, July 9, 2019

There’s
two sides to every love story. The how you fell in love, and the how you fell
apart.

This is
ours.

The
cardinal rule of friendship is you don’t mess with your friend’s sister.

That goes
double when she’s his little sister.

It was
just supposed to be fun.

She wasn’t
supposed to end up being the love of my life.

And I
definitely wasn’t supposed to break her heart.

Ainsley is
a wedding dress designer. That should’ve been a warning that she’s a hopeless
romantic. That should’ve clued me in that she believes love conquers all.

But there
are some things that love can’t fix. I’m one of them.

She thinks
love is the answer.

But love
is the reason I let her go.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

About the
Author:

Prescott Lane is the author of First Position,
Perfectly Broken, Quiet Angel, and Wrapped in Lace. She is originally from
Little Rock, Arkansas, and holds a degree in sociology and a MSW from Tulane
University. She married her college sweetheart, and they currently live in New
Orleans with their two children and two crazy dogs. Prescott started writing at
the age of five, and sold her first story about a talking turtle to her father
for a quarter. She later turned to writing romance novels because there aren’t
enough happily ever afters in real life.

Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Greetings my darling readers, I know I’ve been
remiss in providing you reviews of good reads this past year and I apologize.
Life has a hold on me which does not allow me much reading time. I have tried
to make up for that in publishing my own good reads for you and I hope you’ve
given them a try. So to make up for my neglect, I will be offering up guest
reviews for you enjoy. I hope to be back reviewing for you soon but in the
meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy my dear friend, Connie Fischer’s reviews to guide
you to good reads. Enjoy and Happy Reading!

I present to you a guest review of AN AMERICAN DUCHESS by
Caroline Fyffe, published June 25, 2019.

Blurb for
AN AMERICAN DUCHESS:

A woman's
heart dares to defy the rules of Victorian society in USA Today bestselling
author Caroline Fyffe's novel of romance, royalty, and a little revenge.

In Kent, England, the
arrival of Beranger Northcott, Duke of Brightshire, causes a stir. Because with
the duke comes his new American bride, who isn't quite what anyone expects. By accepting the
hand of her beloved, Emma Brinkman went from hardworking Colorado rancher to
duchess. Now she's expected to comport herself as nobility. Overnight. For Emma—stifled, homesick, and
unable to shake the feeling she's being watched—the metamorphosis is a
challenge. And if Emma's suspicions are correct, perhaps even a dangerous one.

Fortunately, Emma has
found a trusted friend in the orphaned Charlotte, Brightshire's scullery maid.
Charlotte longs to experience—if only for a moment—the luxuries and gentry
romance that come with a titled life. When one of the duke's handsome cousins
takes notice of Charlotte, the castle kitchen is set abuzz with speculation.

In navigating their two
different stations, both servant and duchess alike will discover all they have
in common—from secret fantasies to daring hearts to upending the rules of
society. And that finding their places in the world—and love—is a dream that can come true—no matter the risks.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Connie’s
Review:

Brideswell
Abbey, Hertfordshire - 1922

Zoe Gifford is an American heiress needing to marry an impoverished aristocrat.
Once married, she can then access her funds to pay back her mother’s debts. Zoe
is to marry Sebastian Hazelton, whose brother is Nigel Hazelton, the seventh
Duke of Langford.

En route to Sebastian’s home, Zoe’s car gets stuck in the mud and she is
rescued by Nigel. It is reported that his face is scarred from the war. Seeing
a few scars on the side of his face, Zoe doesn’t find him horrifying. Then, he
sends his car for her and her mother.

After marrying Sebastian, Zoe will then divorce him, but the duke is against
the idea. This marriage of convenience will give funds to Sebastian and allow
Zoe to access her inheritance. Even though the duke is appalled at the idea,
Zoe doesn’t care.

Julia, sister of Sebastian and Nigel is impressed with Zoe, but Nigel
disagrees. He doesn’t consider American women to be ladylike, but he can’t help
but be attracted to Zoe.

When Zoe learns of a dark secret that Sebastian is hiding, she calls off their
engagement and soon becomes engaged to Nigel. Their attraction is strong and
Zoe wants to be with him all the time, but he is plagued with nightmares from
his time in the war and doesn’t want her to see that. Angry at this, Zoe is
determined to do things her own way in life. Can their marriage withstand this?

This is a good story, but I wanted to smack Zoe because she is the epitome of
the spoiled American lady of the time period who is determined to do what she
wants. This didn’t play well with Nigel as well it shouldn’t. All in all, it is
a good story and I think readers will enjoy it.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

AN AMERICAN
DUCHESS by Caroline Fyffe, Montlake Romance, available now in ebook, print, and audio at Amazon and free
at Kindle Unlimited.

Monday, July 1, 2019

Greetings my darling readers, I know I’ve been
remiss in providing you reviews of good reads this past year and I apologize.
Life has a hold on me which does not allow me much reading time. I have tried
to make up for that in publishing my own good reads for you and I hope you’ve
given them a try. So to make up for my neglect, I will be offering up guest
reviews for you enjoy. I hope to be back reviewing for you soon but in the
meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy my dear friend, Connie Fischer’s reviews to guide
you to good reads. Enjoy and Happy Reading!

I present to you a guest review of SOME LIKE IT SCANDALOUS,
a Gilded Age Girls Club novel by Maya Rodale, published June 18, 2019.

Blurb for
SOME LIKE IT SCANDALOUS:

They
are sworn enemies…

Theodore
Prescott the Third, one of Manhattan’s Rogues of Millionaire Row, has really
done it this time. The only way to survive his most recent, unspeakably
outrageous scandal is marry someone respectable. Someone sensible. Someone like
Daisy Swan. Of all the girls in Gilded Age Manhattan, it had to be her.

Pretending
to be lovers...

Daisy
Swan has plans and they do not involve a loveless marriage with anyone. But
when a devastating family secret threatens to destroy her standing in society,
suddenly a fake engagement with Theo is just the thing to make all her dreams
come true.

And
now it’s time to kiss and make up…

Daisy
Swan aspires to sell cosmetics that she has created, but this brainy scientist
needs a smooth talking charmer’s flair for words and eye for beauty to make it
a success. Before long, Daisy and Theo are trading kisses. And secrets. And
discovering that despite appearances, they might be the perfect couple after
all.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Connie’s
Review:

New York
City - 1883

Miss Daisy Swan, age 13, is not a pretty young girl and the other children of
Manhattan’s finest families tease her constantly. It doesn’t bother her because
she’s busy reading books on chemistry which fascinates her. After being teased
and humiliated by Theodore Prescott, the third, Daisy swears that she will hate
him forever and will remain a spinster.

New York City - 1895

Now Daisy is 25 and still not considered to be pretty. Her sisters, Rose,
Camilla, and Lily are all lovely young women and married. Daisy is soon to
graduate from Barnard College and then, with her knowledge of chemistry, hopes
to create and sell beauty products for women. However, her mother wants her to
marry. When Daisy reminds her mother that she had been promised to be able to
remain a spinster and have her own business, her mother confesses that her
father has made some bad business decisions recently and now they need money.
She tells her that she must get married and she will marry Theo. What? Not
Theo!!

Theodore Prescott, the second, is a hardworking man who has earned millions of
dollars. His son, Theodore (Theo) Prescott, the third, on the other hand,
spends his time entertaining himself. Theo has no interest in the making of
steel. Rather, he just enjoys women. However, the recent scandal in which he
was involved has convinced his father that he is to get married and he will
marry Daisy or he will be cut off. What? Not Daisy!!

Daisy and Theo meet up to discuss their predicament. As they chat, Theo learns
that Daisy has created a face cream that has left her own complexion lovely and
dewy. With his help, they name the face cream and open a store to sell it. This
togetherness sparks a friendship of sorts that leads to an attraction. Will it
be enough for them to actually go through with the wedding that Daisy’s mother
is planning?

This is a lovely enemies to lovers novel with some strong characters and lots
of humor. I was impressed with Daisy and Theo’s ingenuity in setting up and
selling her face cream. I enjoyed the story and I think other readers will as
well.

Copy provided by NetGalley and Edelweiss in exchange for a fair and honest
review.

SOME LIKE IN
SCANDALOUS, a Gilded Age Girls Club novel by Maya Rodale, Avon Romance, available
now ebook, print, and audio at Amazon, Barnes
& Noble, and Kobobooks.

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